Product Review – The Oztent Gecko Chair

After 40 odd years of camping and caravanning, you’d think that I would have my act together.

However, one thing that has alluded me to this point is the perfect camp chair. My excuse is that I don’t think it exists, but that hasn’t stopped me looking. My quest recently led me to Snowys after seeing pictures of the Oztent Gecko chair in a magazine.

I’m a great Oztent fan. I have used the Oztent RV3 tent for many years and it’s still going strong. Up until now my chair of choice has been the Oztent King Goanna chair. So, why look for something different?

I must admit the main attraction was the built-in table, not just on the side like a number of other chairs, but rotatable and height adjustable so that it could be used as a table for eating, writing, holding the laptop or tablet and a myriad of other uses.

Here are my impressions:

Quality Construction

Using the tried and true Director’s Chair design, the Gecko’s frame is made of powder-coated steel, is sturdy and looks to be of high quality.

Unlike the 4 legs of a traditional Director’s Chair, this is supported by two wide “feet” that reduce the chance of sinking down on a soft surface.

The seat and back are made of a canvas-like material and are padded. The back has adjustable lumbar support and the armrests have padded sleeves. The chair is rated to 150kg.

The side table is a handy addition to this chair, as you eat dinner while you relax at the campsite. 

Handy Side Table

The table is mounted on the side of the chair and locked in place with a cam-lock lever. Simply lift the lever, pull up the table to the desired position and push the lever down to lock in place.

The table surface can be in the vertical position for storage or in one of 6 positions between vertical and horizontal, controlled by pressing a button at the end of the table, rotating the table into position and releasing to lock it in place.

There are a couple of flaws to this design:

• to have the table on the side of the chair requires it to be at a strange angle to avoid it intruding into the seating area
• the surface is quite slippery and would be better with a non-slip surface and a slightly higher lip to stop things slipping off

The table is great for eating, writing, using a laptop or tablet or just for happy hour drinks and nibbles. If positioned to the side of the chair, it can easily provide a surface for drinks, etc. for two people.

Comfortable

The seat is firm and the back upright with an adjustable lumbar support for a comfortable well supported sitting position.

The table being height adjustable and tiltable makes it is easy to find a suitable position for whatever task you are undertaking.

You’ll be sitting comfortably with the Oztent Gecko Chair. 

Easily packed away

When folded up the chair goes into its carry bag easily, not after a fight like some other chairs.

This produces a sizable but flat package that can be carried vertically or horizontally. Packed up, the dimensions are H56cm x L90cm x W10cm.

My Verdict

So far I am quite impressed, although not perfect it is still pretty good.

The Gecko isn’t as compact as some of the more traditional camp chair designs which may put some people off. But keep in mind that with this chair you may no longer require a camp table for eating. It is also more comfortable than eating on your lap and is an easy shape to pack.

I’m still looking for the perfect chair but will be pretty happy with this one for some time to come.

What’s your perfect camp chair?